Fire-escape



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. PALMER.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented June 26, 1883.

N. PETERS. Flu-:(wLikhn n her, Washmgton, 0. c,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2. A. PALMER.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 280,231. Patented June 26,1883. jZ/WW A a- A 6 J &

tiers of windows.

' UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

AARON PALMER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,231, dated June 26, 1883. Applieationfiled April 13, 18823. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON PALMER, of Rochester, Monroe county, New York, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and ex act description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved fire-escape, a portion being broken away. Fig;

My improvement relates to that class of fireescapes in which a car runs up and down on a fixed way on the outside of a building, and in which a weight is used which slightly overbalances the car, so that when the car is released it will always ascend and will stand elevated ready for use at the highest windows.

The invention consists in-the combination of parts hereinafter more definitely described and claimed.

In the drawings, A shows a runway or trunk, which is secured to the face of the building in a vertical position,and is located between the It is made hollow to allow a weight to run'up and down therein, and is constructed as follows: a a are two joists or scantlings of wood, set upendwise and standing thewidest side outward, at right angles to the wall of the building. b is a plank in the rear, and c is a metallic plate in front, the edges of which project beyond the sides of the trunk and form ways upon which the car runs. The whole trunk is thus made of wood, except the front plate, and is therefore very cheap, and it incloses a hollow space of sufficient size to allow free passage of the counter-weight from bottom to top. It is attached to the wall by bolts 01 cl, which pass through the scantlings, thus fastening the parts together, as well as attaching the trunk to the wall.

B is a vertical rod or pipe, which stands out some distance in front of the runway, and also extends vertically the same height as the run way. This rod or tube forms the way upon which the car travels.

G is the car or cage which moves up and down 011 the rod, and is designed to contain the persons descending. any desired form, but preferably in the shape of a bay-window or balcony, so that when elevated on the face of a building it will present an ornamental appearance. At the back it has two bent hooks or claws, ff, whichem- It may be made of 71. 71 are two chains, cables, or cords attached to the bottom of the weight, thence extending outward around small pulleys i i at the bottom of the runway, and thence extending upward and provided with hooks k 1:, which engage with eyes in the bottom of the car.

It will be seen that as the car ascends and descends on the rod the chains will make a circuit to the weight and will preserve the con nection at all times, allowing the parts to work automatically.

The car is provided with a tube, G, which encircles the rod 13 and slides freely thereon. At the top the tube has a close bearing, as shown at Z. Below this the body of the tube is enlarged, leaving a space between it and the rod, and in this space is located aspiral spring, m, which rests at the top against the shoulder, and at the bottom is attached to a ring, m, sliding loosely on the rod, but resting loosely in the mouth of the-tube, as shown in Fig. 2.

At the bottom of the rod B is an enlarged shoulder, P, of such size, however, as to enter the end of tube G when the car is down.

Inside of the car is a lever, H, pivoted in a bearing, 0, its lower end passing through a hole in the car and forming a brake which bears upon the smooth face of the plate 0.

In descending with one or more occupants in the car, the weight of the car overbalances the counter-weight, and to graduate the descent the brake is applied to the plate with suitable force; but in case of accident or overweight, if the car should fall with force, the

ring n will strike on topof the shoulder 19, and will be driven up into the tubeG, compressing the spiral spring m therein, and there by breaking the shock. The spring and ring, being inclosed in the tube, are out of the way, and do not endanger the occupants of the car.

1' and s are double doors on each side of the car. The door 9' is hinged at t so as to open sidewise, leaving a side opening in the car. The door 8 is hinged at a to the back or outer edge of the side door, and opens inward away from the wall of the building toward the interior of the car. In Fig. at the-two doors are shown closed at the left and both thrown open at the right.

In entering the car from a window the doors 8 s are opened inward, and in emerging at the bottom the door 2' is opened out sidewise, which is necessary, as no exit can be made through the door .9, owing to its proximity to the wall. By this means ingress and exit are provided, and the car can be closed during the descent, so that the occupants are shielded against fire and smoke below.

\Vhen the fire-escape is not in use, the overbalance of the counter-weight will carry the car to the top, where it will remain and form anornament to the building.

If desired, an escape may be located between all the tiers of windows, and be ready at all times for emergencies.

In case of fire, firemen and apparatus can be elevated by detaching the upper hook of one of the chains 71, then lowering the car, which draws said chain It up in the runway with the weight, then, when. the load is in the car, drawing by force on the free end of the chain h, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figs. 3 and (i, which draws the weight back and elevates the car. If desired, both chains h h may be used in this way at once. If desired, also, the car may be lowered by persons on the outside holding the chains 11 and allowing said chains to slip around the pulleys, which may sometimes be necessary where the car is heavily loaded or where infirm or injured persons are to be lowered, and where they are not competent to control the brake in the car.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1; In a fire-escape, the combination of the runway A, secured to the side of a building and made hollow for the passage of a counterweight, and a rod or tube, I3, standing outward and away from the runway and forming a way for the car, the car sliding up and down on the rod or tube and engaging with the runway by hooks or claws which preserve the connection, as herein shown and described.

2. In a fire-escape, the runway A, constructed of two side pieces, a a, a back piece, b, and

a front plate, 0, with projecting edges which form the ways for the hooks or claws of the car, said runway being hollow for the passage of the counter-weight, as described.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the rod B and car C, of the stop 1) at the bottom of the rod, the enlarged tube G- inside the car and surrounding the rod, the coiled spring on inside the tube, and the ring-follower n at the bottom of the tube, as shown and described, andfor the purpose specified.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the car Gr, of the door 0-, hinged to swing outward sidewise from the car, and the door s, hinged to the door r, so as to swing inward toward the interior of the car and away from the wall of the building, as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AAROX PALMER.

\Vit nesses:

R. F. Oscoon, IV. lvIARTIN JoNEs. 

